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USS Dreadnought (NX-2012)
| commissioned = stardate 2259.310 | status = active }} The USS Dreadnought (NX-2012) was a starship commanded by Commodore M'Karr, in an alternate reality. History and specifications Dreadnought was commissioned after the secret program to build this vessel and her sister ship was made public. Statistics and concept * Captain: Cdore. M'Karr (2264-2278 Kelvin timeline) * Formation: 13th Cruiser Squadron, Fleet Group 47 (Task Force Matsu), 6th Tactical Wing * Homeport: Starbase 420 * Theater Commander: Counter Admiral Vincenzza Gavao * Class: Dreadnought (unique prototype) * Design Basis: Federation Dreadnought USS Vengeance (F-DRV) * Launched: 21 October 2264 * Commissioned: 3 December 2264 * Namesake: HMS Dreadnought, Earth history First conceived as a "weapons test platform" among the Dreadnought series prototypes and had been conceived of carrying both advanced Federation and friendly alien weapons. Originally outfitted with automation like the Vengeance (NX-2013), the lack of Section 31 software (code name C.O.N.T.R.O.L.) made the ship far too cumbersome to automate. Additional crew billets replaced most automation and operated the bulky saucer-mounted guns and retrofit Hydran Hellbore cannons. This did not suit Dreadnought's status as a "prototype" or "test platform," especially with sister ships quickly evolving into very specialized designs with obvious strengths and flaws that emerged, one with a secret wormhole drive. Naval architecture, especially with regard to dreadnought type warships as heavy battlecruisers, did not lend themselves to adaptation as more specialized, sleeker in terms of hull shapes and weapon loadouts. Dreadnought eventually was retrofit without regenerating shields to allow defensive systems that are more specialized, pushing more installed Starfleet weapon technology and reverse-engineering weapons from a wrecked Terran warship recovered by the Federation in the past.'' Dreadnought evolved as a specialized missile cruiser with a design focus on torpedo armaments, sacrificing protection for high speed and big guns and noticeably weaker shields with her most powerful weapons ineffective at close range. The shield weakness is partially negated by corbomite reflector hull armor, an unproven system that is useless when shields are raised and only deflects directed-energy attacks. Chain reaction pulsar This weapon, when launched, would hit its initial target and draw energy from it, then hit the next-closest enemy target and draw more energy from that, then continue to grow in power until it unleashes all accumulated force on the final target. The chain reaction pulsar is a high-energy charged particle burst contained in a force field. The exact function of the weapon is considered level 1 classified information and only accessible on a need-to-know basis. These weapons were derived from the plasma torpedo technology used by the Gorn, made accessible to the Federation during alliance negotiations. This weapon draws from the charged streams of electro-plasma that the warp core feeds through the ship to provide ammunition. The weapons tied to the ship's warp propulsion systems and the captain must consult with engineering to keep an eye on their use. If over-used by firing too many bursts, Dreadnought won't have enough warp plasma left to keep systems fully powered, overuse of the weapon will stranding the ship at sublight velocities, leaving her very vulnerable. Furthermore, because the pulsar is maximally effective after having hit several targets to allow it to build up as much power as possible before final detonation, it is best used against many targets grouped close together and most preferably at medium to long range. It is not nearly as effective at short range, especially due to the weapon's third major weakness: the near unpredictable, random movement of the electro-plasma burst after the first shot. The first target can be aimed at; whether or not the CRP will continue to hit meaningful targets, which targets it hits, and how fast it hits and damages those subsequent targets is largely a matter of serendipity. Corbomite reflector Deliberately named after James T. Kirk's famous "Corbomite bluff", where he claimed that Federation ships were built with a material called "Corbomite" that reflected all offensive energy which might strike the vessel back at the target, the Corbomite Reflector is a last-ditch way to protect starships from overwhelming firepower. It is an extremely advanced polarized hull plate system that can deflect beam-based weapons away from the ship's hull and, in some cases, reflect beam energy straight back at the attacker. However, the armor has several setbacks, as it is useless when shields are up, useless against torpedoes, and a massive drain on the ship's power supply, and finally, soes not cover the entire ship. Mark 5R (class 9) long-range stealth torpedo This is a classified advancement. Appendices Connections Reference * Trekker's Alternity Galactopedia, index 1309.08 category:dreadnought class starships category:federation starships